PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT ? NC HIV PREVENTION SCIENTIFIC WORKING GROUP HIV-1 is a preventable infection. Biomedical and combination prevention interventions and antiretroviral treatment of infected persons have demonstrated substantial reduction in HIV-1 transmission in clinical studies. Despite these tools HIV-1 transmission continues unabated across the globe and here in North Carolina. The overriding goal of the North Carolina Prevention Scientific Working Group is to develop research that will ultimately reduce HIV-1 infections in North Caroline. We will do this by engaging investigators with expertise in public health practice, state-of-the-art epidemiologic methods, mathematical modeling, behavioral science, HIV-1 phylogenetic analysis and molecular virology to develop research teams and multi-level projects to better understand drivers of HIV-1 transmission in North Carolina and develop interventions targeted at reducing of HIV-1 incidence. We are incorporating multilevel public health and client level data from state surveillance systems, from academia and from industry partners to provide comprehensive infrastructure for CFAR investigators. The SWG focuses on high risk groups including young MSM of color and individuals with acute and recent infection. The NC HP SWG is led by Heidi Swygard MD, a UNC faculty member and Infectious Diseases specialist, working hand-in-hand with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), HIV/AIDS branch. She is partnered with Jacquelyn Clymore, MS, who is the Director of the State HIV/AIDS branch, and together they will continue to engage an array of young investigators from diverse disciplines committed to reducing HIV-1 transmission in NC. The investigators come from each of the three UNC CFAR institutions, the NC DHHS and Duke. The SWG supports regular meetings, invited speakers with pertinent expertise, open dialog and collaborative grant proposals. Measures of success include funded grant proposals, published manuscripts and ultimately a reduction in new HIV-1 infections in North Carolina.